Life vest made with a thicker and more elastic fiber

ABSTRACT

A life vest manufactured from an improved fabric, having a thickness ranging from 1.4 mm to 3.0 mm, and high elasticity provided by knitting with a double circular knitting machine under the setting of 20-28 gauges per inch. The improved thickness and high elasticity fabric is made of non-elastic yarns, selected from polyester, polyamide, or polypropylene, and from elastic yarns, of polyurethane. The combination of woven elastic and non-elastic yarns provides an intricate yet highly comfortable fabric which is soft and “furry” to the touch.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priorty from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/175,434 filed May 4, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of life vests, and especially to a life vest that is manufactured from an improved high elasticity fabric under an arrangement of knitting using a double circular knitting machine under the setting of 20-28 gauges per inch. The fabric includes 80 wt % to 97 wt % of non-elastic yarns, made from polyester, polyamide, or polypropylene having a fineness range from 50 denier to 150 denier, and 3wt % to 20 wt % of elastic yarns, made from polyurethane having a fineness range 10 denier to 70 denier, based on the total weight of the said fabrics. The improved fabric has an elongation ranging from 30% to 90% in a first direction and an elongation ranging from 60% to 120% in a second direction transverse to the first direction. The improved fabric has a thickness ranging from 1.4 mm to 3.0 mm and a ball burst strength greater than 130 lbs according to the standard of ASTM D 3787.

2. Description of Related Art

There are three major kinds of conventional life vest. The first type is a nylon life vest that is completely manufactured from woven nylon. The nylon life vest has the drawback of no elasticity, fails to fit the wearer and makes the wearer feel uncomfortable. The second type is a neoprene life vest that is manufactured from neoprene with fabric lamination. The neoprene life vest offers the elasticity to solve the drawbacks of the nylon life vest, but has the disadvantage of non-breathing, heavy, and not environment friendly. The third type is a sandwich fabric life vest that is manufactured from synthetic polyamide/polyester monofilament sandwiched between layers of combined synthetic polyamide/polyester filament and elastic yarn. The sandwich fabric life vest offers the advantages of elasticity and environment friendly. It solves the drawbacks of the neoprene life vest but also has the disadvantage of weaker strength and less physical memory, and is easily frayed while cutting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a life vest that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks and improve the related function.

According to the present invention, there is provided an improved life vest manufactured from improved thicker fabrics, with high elasticity and knitted using a double circular knitting machine. The inventive life vest has high elasticity and is easy breathing, light, environment friendly, high structural strength, and abilities of bending and better physical memory that can overcome the drawbacks of the three kinds of conventional life vest. A novel combination of woven elastic and non-elastic yarns provides an intricate yet highly comfortable fabric which is soft and “furry” to the touch.

The present invention is a new type of life vest that is manufactured from improved thicker fabrics, with high elasticity and knitted through a double circular knitting machine under the setting of 20-28 gauges per inch. The improved fabric includes 80 wt % to 97 wt % of non-elastic yarns, made from polyester, polyamide, or polypropylene having a fineness range from 50 denier to 150 denier, and 3 wt % to 20 wt % of elastic yarns, made from polyurethane having a fineness range of 10 denier to 70 denier, based on the total weight of the said fabrics. The improved fabric has an elongation ranging from 30% to 90% in a first direction and an elongation ranging from 60% to 120% in a second direction transverse to the first direction. The improved fabric has a thickness ranging from 1.4 mm to 3.0 mm and a ball burst strength greater than 130 lbs according to the standard of ASTM D 3787.

Compared with the nylon life vest, the present invention can offer high elasticity that makes the life vest better fitting and makes the wearer feel more comfortable. Based on the advantage of high elasticity, the present invention can be provided in different patterns or figures of design that creates improved aesthetics.

Compared with the neoprene life vest, the present invention is made from improved fabric without the need of gluing or laminating, thereby making the finished life vest lighter, easy breathing, environment friendly and more comfortable.

The prior art sandwich life vest, has structural strength that is almost exclusively supported by monofilament that causes weaker structural strength or is inclined to wrinkle after being folded or compressed. The present invention is made of elastic yarn and non elastic yarn, and the structural strength is supported by the robust and rigorous knitting method that can offer improved structural strength, and improved abilities of bending and better physical memory and provides a life vest that can last longer and feels softer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aforementioned objects and advantages of the present invention, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will be more fully understood herein after as a result of a detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are microscopic and macroscopic cross-sectional views, respectively, of a prior art nylon fabric life vest material;

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are microscope and macroscopic cross-sectional views, respectively, of a prior art neoprene sponge fabric life vest material;

FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are microscope and macroscopic cross-sectional views, respectively, of a prior art filament/monofilament life vest material; and

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are microscope and macroscopic cross-sectional views, respectively, of the inventive elastic/non-elastic yarn life vest material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the surface of a nylon life vest has no elasticity and that makes the wearer feel uncomfortable and the finished product of nylon life vest also has little aesthetic appeal.

With reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, a neoprene life vest offers a soft surface and makes the finished product better fitting, but the main substance of neoprene is rubber which causes the neoprene life vest to be non-breathing, and require gluing and laminating in the manufacturing process. The use of neoprene material also raises the drawback of an environmental issue.

With reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the structural strength of the surface of the sandwich life vest is supported solely by a monofilament that is too weak to offer sufficient strength to form the required bending and physical memory characteristics. The outer and inner materials of the sandwich life vest of FIG. 3 are easily deformed while aging or while being folded or compressed.

Furthermore, the unique structure of the surface of the sandwich life vest makes this prior art fabric easily frayed while cutting and causes difficulty in sewing.

With reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the present invention is a new type of life vest that is manufactured from improved thicker fabric, with high elasticity yarns using a double circular knitting machine under the setting of 24 gauges per inch.

The thicker and higher elasticity fabric includes 80 wt % to 97 wt % of non-elastic yarns and 3 wt % to 20 wt % of elastic yarns based on the total weight of the said fabrics.

The improved inventive fabric has an elongation ranging from 30% to 90% in a first direction and an elongation ranging from 60% to 120% in a second direction transverse to the first direction. The improved inventive fabric has a thickness of 1.6 mm and a ball burst strength greater than 130 lbs according to the standard of ASTM D 3787.

Preferably, the elastic yarns are made from polyurethane, and the non-elastic yarns are made from polyester.

Preferably, each of the elastic yarns has a fineness ranging from 10 denier to 70 denier, and each of the non-elastic yarns has a fineness ranging from 50 denier to 150 denier.

Preferably, the improved life vest fabric has a thickness ranging from 1.4 mm to 3.0 mm.

Thus it is seen that the life vest of the present invention is made of an improved fabric that provides numerous advantages over the relevant prior art. It overcomes substantially all of the noted disadvantages of prior art life vest fabrics. It is more comfortable, better fitting, stronger, more durable, easier to cut during fabrication and softer to the touch. Therefore what is claimed is: 

1. A life vest manufactured from an improved fabric, comprising high elasticity material made of non-elastic yarns, selected from the group of polyester, polyamide or polypropylene, and elastic yarns, selected from polyurethane.
 2. The improved fabric recited in claim 1 comprising 80 wt % to 97 wt % of said non-elastic yarns and 3 wt % to 20 wt % of said elastic yarns based on the total weight of each of said fabric.
 3. The improved fabric recited in claim 1 where said fabric is knitted using a double circular knitting machine under the setting of 20-28 gauges per inch.
 4. The improved fabric recited in claim 1 having an elongation ranging from 30% to 90% in a first direction and an elongation ranging from 60% to 120% in a second direction transverse to the first direction.
 5. The improved fabric recited in claim 1 having a ball burst strength greater than 130 lbs according to the standard of ASTM D
 3787. 6. The fabric recited in claim 2 wherein said elastic yarn has a fineness ranging from 10 denier to 70 denier.
 7. The fabric recited in claim 2 wherein said non-elastic yarn has a fineness ranging from 50 denier to 150 denier.
 8. The improved fabric recited in claim 1 having a thickness ranging from 1.4 mm to 3.0 mm. 